Birthday Girl Part 2
by ReimielAngel
Summary: Part 2 to Birthday Girl. Ruby pays Regina a visit on her b-day. But will things go as planned?
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, here you have it folks, Chapter 1 of Birthday Girl Part 2. The recent episodes have thrown me off quite a bit and I know it's been over a month since the first B-Day Girl story. But it took me a while for the story to start flowing back for me.**

**Disclaimer: You already know I don't own OUAT so don't look at me like that. -_-**

**Birthday Girl Part 2**

Stepping outside, Ruby shrugged into her dark brown coat and looked around. It was already 10 at night when her shift had finally ended and the streets at that time were nearly deserted. A few stragglers remained, some like herself, just getting off of work and ready to head home.

Lifting her head up to the night sky she took a deep breath and blew it out in puffs. _I wonder what Regina is doing right now,_ she thought wordlessly to herself. While she was busy working she could barely keep her thoughts from straying to the reformed Evil Queen as she wiped down the counters and took a few last orders. _Maybe I should go over to her place and wish her a happy birthday again, perhaps this calls for some vintage wine._ With her mind made up, Ruby began the short walk over to the town's local liquor store.

**Red Queen**

"Yes, yes, now Henry I do believe it is time for you to go to bed." Regina interrupted her son's excitement over the latest gossips of their small town. After the party she had went home and while getting ready to turn in for the night, she had gotten a surprise call from Henry and had chatted with him for the past, she looked down at the delicate watch on her wrist, almost a half hour.

"Hey mom?" Henry began gently on the other side of the line. His voice sounded small to Regina but it held everything that she loved. "Im glad Ruby decided to help with the birthday planning."

Regina's brows furrowed at the statement. "Ruby?" She held the phone closer to her ear sure that she had heard wrong.

"Yeah, I mean, she was the reason this whole thing even happened. Without her, well, it would not have been as elaborate." She could see his half quirked smile in her mind's eye as he spoke.

Clearing her throat, Regina didn't even need to pretend the mild interest she had at the news. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, she got the invitation cards made and sent them out, set up most of the decorations with my help of course." Henry replied in a playful tone.

"Of course darling," Regina replied back with a smile. As her son went droning on about how Ruby Lucas had large hand in preparing for the party, Regina found her thoughts focused on the strikingly beautiful woman. Legs that could go on for miles, her lopsided grin, her playful and carefree attitude, the way she looked at Regina when she would come in for morning coffee, her long legs…._wait a damn minute_-

"Mom? Are you listening to me?" Henry's worried voice sounded in her ear bringing her back to the phone call.

"Ah, yes. I hear you." Regina leaned her head forward and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm just a little tired after the day's events."

"I think she likes you." Henry stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, it's nice to know that all my hard work at reforming is starting to pay off." In the past few months, things have gotten better for the former Evil Queen. The looks she got of fear and disdain were getting fewer and farther in between, and the plots to kill her…well, it's been an entire month since there was a whispers of a threat against her.

"Not like that. I think she-" Henry began as a voice, Regina recognized it as David's, murmured something to Henry that Regina could not make out. She was trying to process what Henry had said to her moments before about Ruby. "Hello?" Henry's voice came back strong over the phone.

"Henry darling, what did you mean by she likes me?" Regina asked slowly.

"Sorry Mom, I have to go now. Grandpa says it's time for bed." Henry said hurriedly, taking Regina a bit aback.

"Henry wait-"

"Sorry Mom, gotta go! I'm sure you'll figure it out someday! Love you, bye!" Henry said before hanging up on Regina. She sat there a few moments with the phone still to her ear before she finally hung up the phone.

_She likes me? Certainly he doesn't mean like that right? He's a child, I swear if that Emma has begun teaching him life lessons already_….Regina shook off the thoughts of her wandering mind and stood up from where she had been sitting on the couch in front of the living room fireplace. She stretched out her muscles and wrapped her silk robe tighter around her waist as she walked out into the hallway.

She stepped into the kitchen and prepared a tall glass of water for herself when she heard a knock at her door. She set the cup down on the granite counter gently before stepping swiftly and silently to the foyer. Another knock, this time a little harder sounded, she stepped forward wondering who it could be at this time of night and looked through the peephole. _Well speak of the devil_, she mused before pulling open the door.

**Red Queen **

Ruby bounded up the few steps to the former mayor's house and prepared herself. She had seen a few of the lights on still in the mansion and figured the woman was still awake. And even if she did end up waking up the older woman she shouldn't complain, at least not much, she did bring her some booze after all.

She raised a hand to ring the doorbell but paused before she could actually push it. She flexed her fingers and after a moment's hesitation, she knocked on the big wooden door before her.

Ruby was starting to feel a bit jittery and she couldn't figure out why. Sure, she was at Regina's house in the middle of the night but hey, it's the woman's birthday, no? And to go to sleep this early on one's b-day would be just major waste in Ruby's opinion.

After no response, Ruby knocked again, this time a little louder.

When the door finally swung open, Ruby was bouncing on her toes until she got a good look at the view before her. Regina stood in the doorway in all her queenly glory, wearing a knee-length black robe, one that looked to be made of silk, no shoes on her feet, and face devoid of any makeup.

She was beautiful, absolute perfection. She was even more stunning without her makeup and designer suits that were Regina, the Big Boss of Storybrooke. This was Regina, the woman and mother to Henry.

"Is there something I can help you with Miss Lucas?" Regina asked with mild curiosity. She looked at the shape-shifter who had appeared to be a bit nervous_. Odd,_ Regina though to herself, _I've never known her to be like this. _

Ruby cleared her throat and held up the bag in her hand. "I bought this with me, I, well, I thought we still had some more celebrating to do." Regina simply looked down at the wolf before stepping aside and motioning her to come in. With a small lopsided smile Ruby stepped up and entered into the mansion.

_Why the hell did I just let her in?_ Regina asked herself a bit sourly as she closed the door behind her guest. Turning around she found Ruby watching her with a tiny smile to which she arched a perfect brow.

"Go wait in there, I'll go get the corkscrew." Regina nodded to the double doors that led to living room. Without waiting to see if Ruby had did as told, she walked back into the kitchen and pulled out the gold-trimmed corkscrew from a drawer.

Upon entering into the living room, Regina found the wolf-girl already seated on the couch who stood when Regina when she noticed the other woman enter.

Regina couldn't help but smirk at this. "Yes darling, that is the thing to do when a Queen enters. But it seems you forgot the bow that comes after the standing." Ruby's head began to dip before she caught herself and scowled over at Regina. "I'm not going to apologize for teasing you if that's what you are expecting." Regina stated as she took her seat on the couch next to Ruby.

Ruby, for her part, did not reply but instead blew at the hair that had fallen over her face. Regina held out the corkscrew to her and Ruby looked down at the corkscrew before looking at Regina. "You want me to open it?" Regina rolled her eyes and dropped the item into the girl's hands before reaching over and plucking out a bottle from the bag that was on the table.

Reading the label she nodded approvingly. "1984 Brookeshire Estate," She smiled at the label before looking over at Ruby who ducked her head in a nod. "Have you ever had the pleasure of actually tasting this wine before?"

"No." Ruby said quietly. Regina arched a brow and grinned.

"Well, then you are in for a real treat tonight." Regina said she took the corkscrew back from the younger woman and placed it over the top of the wine bottle.

**Red Queen **

"So what is the real reason you decided to come over?" Regina asked with her voice teetering on the husky side. She had just finished pouring them both a glass of the red wine and leaning against her side of the couch took a sip of the wine while she waited for a reply.

Ruby looked down at her own glass of wine and ran a finger around the lip of the glass. "To be honest I don't even know myself." She said in almost a whisper. Ruby didn't need to look up to know that Regina was staring at her with a raised brow. "I just didn't think you'd want to be alone…." Ruby looked up at Regina only to find her staring at her with an odd expression. Over the past few minutes, a bad feeling had started to develop in the pit of Regina's stomach, she tried to shake it off but it seemed to be very persistent. She shook her head and refocused her attention back to the shifter.

"And why, Miss Lucas would me being alone be any of your concern?" Regina asked with the beginnings of a frown. Instead of answering, Ruby leaned over to top off Regina's glass. In doing so, Regina was able to get a nice eyeful of the shape-shifters bosom. Slowly Regina raised a single eyebrow at the display, she doubted that Ruby had even noticed what she had done, but she was sure that whatever view she was giving to her, the wolf didn't mind.

"Like what ya see?" Regina's eyes snapped up and locked with Ruby's eyes. She could see the playfulness in her eyes and hear the hints of what could be in her voice. _Wait, of what could be? As if I would allow this…dog, to even get near me_. Regina mentally rolled her eyes at her own thought process. How in the world could she even begin to think about Ruby in that way? _Well, it's not like she's bad lookin', but still…._Regina realized she had yet to say anything when a loud and frantic knock resounded from the front door. Regina and Ruby shared a long look before Regina stood up and excused herself to go answer it.

**Red Queen **

Something was amiss. Ruby knew that the second Regina had left the room. She could hear Regina opening the door and picked up on distress evident in Emma's voice but not the words she was speaking. Then the smell of burning wood wafted into her nose. Quickly rising to her feet, she exited the living room and entered the hallway behind Regina.

"….And we-" Emma looked up and saw Ruby standing behind the former mayor. "Ruby….hi," Emma said slowly with furrowed brows as she looked back and forth between Regina and Ruby. "I wasn't expecting you find you here."

Ruby for her part ignored Emma's comment and slowly reached out a hand and laid it on Regina's shoulder. Regina stood stock still for a few moments and as she turned to Ruby, the hitch in her voice was audible. "Henry," was all Regina said before she stepped past Ruby and back into the mayoral mansion. Ruby turned back to Emma to find her still giving her odd looks. "Emma what happened?" Ruby asked. "Is he alright? Did something happen?"

Emma snapped back to focus and looked down as she gave her answer. "I don't know. David was attempting to cook for himself while me and Snow were out and….and….when we got there, there was a fire and somehow in all the commotion Henry just," Emma shrugged her shoulders and threw her hands up in the air. "He vanished dammit, and I don't know where he could be. I mean, I'm not sure if he ran off again or-" Ruby quickly put her hands on Emma's shoulders in an effort to calm the fretting mother.

"Emma listen to me, it's alright. We _will_ find Henry. It's going to be okay." Ruby ducked her head to look the other woman in the eye. "It's okay." She repeated quietly. Emma nodded her head and looked over Ruby's shoulder to see Regina back in a pair of jeans and a red shirt with her favorite black jacket over it.

"I just got off the phone with Henry's father, Neal, and he said that Henry wasn't at his house but that he would help in looking for him." Regina stated in a clipped voice with her arms crossed as she tried not to show how scared and worried she was for her son.

Ruby was already expecting this, this Regina, the one that could lead and take charge of any situation thrown her way. This was the Regina that they _needed_ now.

Emma for her part gave Regina her full attention. "We need to get a search party started if you haven't already." At Emma's nod, Regina continued. "Have everyone go in pairs and check every single area. The docks, the mines, the town line, _everything_." Something was nagging at Regina that something wasn't right. "We can go check the forest, the three of us. Emma, call your mother and father and let them know our plans." Emma nodded her head briskly and stepped down off the porch to make the call.

Meanwhile, Regina turned to the shape-shifter and pursed her lips. "I just volunteered you without asking if you-"

"Regina!" Ruby didn't mean for the former mayor's name to come out as harsh as it did. Ruby took a slow, steady breath to calm herself. "How can you even say that? I'd go even if you didn't ask me to or volunteer me." She tried to make it lighter with a half-smile. Regina avoided her gaze and gave a barely noticeable nod.

They both looked up when Emma spoke. "Okay, everyone is being sent out already. We're the last ones." Emma stated.

"We should get moving, we have a _lot_ of ground to cover." Regina said as she turned to close and lock the front door. Emma and Ruby shared a look that said _how are we going to cover that much space? _But they did not voice the question out loud.

"We can take my car to where we are going to start and we walk from there. I have flashlights in the trunk along with some other things we may need." Regina said as she walked past them and to her car.

Emma and Ruby hurried to catch up. "Do you think she remembers or will remember anything?"

Ruby, initially caught off guard, instantly knew what the blonde was referring to. "No. And for her sake, I hope she won't."

**Red Queen **

As Regina sat in her car, a three words from a voice that she doubted she would ever hear again, flooded through her brain. _Love is weakness._ Regina shook her head. It couldn't matter what her mother had said to her back then, not now, she couldn't let her mother get to her.

The former Queen laughed to herself. It was a good thing that her mother was back in the Enchanted Forest and not here in Storybrooke, Maine. All kinds of hell would break loose and release a demon that she was not too fond of facing.

Starting the engine as Emma and Ruby entered the car, she took off down the road that would lead to the forest's edge. If love makes us weak, then what strengthens us?

Regina looked back in her mirror and met Ruby's eyes. When the wolf smiled at her a small blush crept upon Regina's face as she redirected her eyes back to the road.

_Maybe our strength comes from love being our weakness._

**End Chapter 1**

**Hopefully this was worth the wait. I know that there wasn't any lovey dovey stuff ya'lls might've been expecting but I wanted to turn this in a different direction and make it more than a simple love….story…thingy. XD**

**Anyways, this may turn into a 3-4 chapter story. R&R and tell me what you thought of this. Love it hate it? Just don't flame it. XD**

**Reimiel Angel**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: You already know I don't own OUAT so don't look at me like that. -_-

**Birthday Girl Part 2 Chapter 2**

_Maybe our strength comes from love being our weakness._

_Love? What the hell?_ Regina quickly glanced back into the mirror to see Ruby looking out the window. _Love…._Regina didn't wish to dwell on the fact that when she thought of love she thought of Ruby. Giving herself another mental headshake she pulled over to the side of the road where they would begin their search for Henry. There was no time to think anything about the wolf in the backseat of her car, not now anyways. First getting her son back and then maybe, _maybe_ she could think about whatever she wishes to do with Ruby.

**Red Queen **

Ruby was the first to take a step out of the car and took a look around at the forest before them. In the darkness she could see fog that had started to accumulate further on in the trees.

The slam of the car trunk had her turning around. Regina held out a flashlight to Ruby and when she took hold of the end held out to her she was met with resistance. Looking up she met Regina's eyes for a brief second before the resistance she met was ended and the flashlight was resting at her side.

"Okay, so, do you happen to have a plan as to how we are going to search for him?" Emma asked in a low voice as she looked around at the trees surrounding them. "It'd be pretty hard to find him if we don't have a round knowledge of where he might be."

"There." Emma turned to see Ruby a few yards ahead of her with Regina not too far behind. Ruby had her nose up and seemed to be sniffing in the surrounding fog. "I'm getting a faint whiff of Henry, along with…." another sniff here, "Chicken, and some odd brand of cologne. He's with a male." Ruby finished and looked over at Regina and Emma who had just caught up with them.

"Gold?" Regina asked with a bit of an edge to her voice.

"No, I don't think it's him." Ruby stated as she looked a bit farther ahead of them and squinted. "If it was Gold, well, let's just say that he wouldn't leave such a trail for us to follow." Ruby finished as she motioned for the other ladies to follow her with a few warnings to watch their steps over some fallen debris and the likes.

Walking farther into the forest, the three women realized that the flashlights they held were no match against the dense fog that surrounded and stretched before them.

Ruby slowed and then stopped in her tracks all together as light from her flashlight began to slowly dim and then blink out. Scowling down at the offending item she gave a shake and a slap. "No good douchebag." She huffed.

Meanwhile Regina watched this with a raised brow as Emma strode up beside Ruby. Taking the flashlight from the other woman, Emma clicked the on/off button a few times with no result. "Hey Regina, got any batteries?" The blonde said as she lifted her head and looked at Regina.

Regina narrowed her eyes. "No." She said with annoyance in her voice. She hadn't thought that she would need to bring any extra batteries and therefore hadn't done so. But after being asked for some, she felt a bit…well, stupid for not having any. Before her mind could think to throw any more insults at her, Ruby spoke up.

"No worries. It's cool. I'm a wolf remember?" The grin she wore was lopsided as her eyes slowly turned gold.

The grin faltered and fell altogether from Ruby's face and noticing this Regina stepped forward.

"I'm fine. It's just….well now I can't see at all except the fog." Ruby's eyes began to wander around. "I think this fog may actually be some sort of spell. The air around here smells like magic." She told Regina who simply nodded.

"I figured as much." Regina conceded.

"Sooo…" Emma looked at Ruby nervously until the gold in Ruby's eyes faded. "Can you still see, even a little bit with your normal eyes?"

Ruby realized that Emma kept shifting her feet and was clutching the flashlight she held a little more tightly than was necessary. The woman was obviously desperate to find her son and this interaction was taking up precious time needed in actually finding him.

"Stay close to me and the light from mine should be enough to light our way." Regina spoke quietly. Ruby noticed the same desperate look in Emma's eyes was currently replicated in Regina's.

"Yeah, okay." Ruby sniffed the air once more as she began following an invisible trail with Regina and Emma close beside her.

Emma looked down at her watch and noticed it was already half past four in the morning. _We've been on this trail for over three hours already. I swear, when we find the bastard who took my-our son, he will pay dearly, _she thought to herself as she looked at the women beside her, one who raised her son and the other who like a big sister to Henry. _Yeah, whoever you are, prepare to be totally screwed._

**Red Queen**

As early daylight came upon Storybrooke the fog had begun to fade into thin mist and the three women found themselves upon a wide river stopping them from going any further along their path. After a small silence as the ladies weighed on this new development, it was Regina who spoke first. "Are you sure they came this way?" She spared a glance over a Ruby who was further off to her right trying to pick up any scents.

"I'm pretty damn sure they came this way." It had come out rougher than she had intended and she winced at the sound. Clearing her throat she tried again and made sure she didn't look at Regina. "This is where the trail ends. Right here where we are standing, it just stops." She's staring off down the riverbed wondering if they had perhaps fallen in or if she had made a mistake somewhere in her search. But no, she couldn't have made a mistake right? She was a wolf and one of the major points of being a wolf was to always trust her nose. And her nose was telling her that this was where it had ended.

"Well maybe they waded into the water?" Emma asked hopefully. A raised brow from Regina and Ruby had her shrugging her shoulders. "What? It's all I can come up with. I don't see either of you hinting at anything." She turns away and starts kicking at the ground beneath her feet.

Regina stays silent for a beat longer before sticking her booted foot out into the water. Ruby is by her side instantly and tugging at her arm. "Hey, what bright idea of yours has you running out and sticking your-" The words go unfinished as Ruby loses her footing and both her and Regina go tumbling into the water. Ruby can hear Emma's yelling as her first instinct is to keep her arm wrapped around Regina as the waters swiftly carry them down the river.

Water splashes into the two women's faces as they try to keep their heads above the freezing current surrounding them, Regina accidently takes in a lungful of frozen water and sputters it out while Ruby tries to find something, anything to grab ahold to. They can no longer hear Emma's voice above the water as a big rock in the middle of the river comes looming up to them.

"Uh-oh." Regina breathes and tries to angle her knees up as an idea hits her. "See that branch?"

Ruby sees the boulder rushing towards them before she could even blink the water from her eyes, and before she could even take a breath to scream with she felt herself slide past the boulder before she is pushed towards the far side of the river where it meets the tree branches hanging over into the water. Without thinking she grabs onto the first one she can reach and holds on with all her might as the weight of Regina's body tries to pull her back into the current. With her other hand holding onto Regina she tries to pull her closer to the edge with her and is rewarded with hearing Regina's breathing close to her and also a few choice swear words that made her smile inwardly.

After a few more struggles, Ruby was able to heft Regina closer to some of the other branches as her own was starting to give at their combined weight. But just in time, Regina grabbed a branch and pulled herself halfway out of the water and extended her hand out to Ruby, which she took.

Pulling themselves further up and fully onto the soiled ground they collapsed from exhaustion as the fog rolled in around them.

**Red Queen**

**AN: And this is the second chapter to Birthday Girl Part 2. I know this chapter was quite short and it left off suddenly but I honestly tried and it seemed like it just had to end here. I promise next chapter will be back to its regular length. And I also know it took me quite awhiles (misspelled on purpose) to actually update this chapter but I wasn't sure if this chapter was even good enough to upload. V.V Please R&R. I would love to know what you, as the reader, thought of this chapter. :) **

**After Revise: Sorry readers, I had to put Birthday Girl Part 2 on hold because I started writing a story for Kim Possible, Kim Possible: What's Possible For A Rockwaller? For more details of this story you can pm me, and I am also looking for a beta for my Kim Possible story. I need someone to keep me on my toes and crack the whip on me so updates for KP will be regular. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes #1: *bows profusely* I am SOOOOOOO sorry ladies and gents. I know it took long for me to update and it also took forever for me to get Chapter 2 fixed and reposted. Please accept my apology in cookies and honeybuns. . But I'm so happy cuz I finally got Chapter 2 fixed and even finished Chapter 3! Yay me! :D **

**For those of you who love this story it's all thanks to the music that's been playing the entire time I was writing these chapters. Heck Pink's Funhouse is still playing right now as I write this note. Mwahaha! Evanescence, Pink, Paramore, Wildebeest, The Summer Set, Jody Has A Hitlist, and other great artists for keeping my mind sane and clear as I write Birthday Girl Part 2.**

Disclaimer: You already know I don't own OUAT so don't look at me like that. -_-

**Birthday Girl Part 2 Chapter 3**

"Ruby?" The voice that Ruby instantly recognized as Emma's cut through the fog in her brain as she slowly opened bleary eyes and got her first look at the blonde after passing out by the river. Emma was frowning and her brows her knotted with concern. Ruby started to sit up when she felt Emma's hand on her arm. "Slowly okay? Take it easy now." But she sat up without complications nonetheless.

Suddenly a thought clicked in her head. "Regina?" She asked with worry laced in her words. She turned her head when Emma's gaze seemed to be drawn on the other side of her. There laying on her side in a near fetal position was Regina and Ruby couldn't help the sigh of relief when she saw the eyes of her love interest flutter open. Regina sat up quickly and after looking around she scowled as her gaze landed on the still rushing river not a few feet from them.

"I wasn't sure if it would have been safe to have moved you two so I didn't." Emma said tentatively while glancing between Regina and Ruby. "How are you two?"

Regina and Ruby shared a glance before Regina suddenly stood up and began to brush off her pants. "I'm completely fine. How about you?" Regina looked down to Ruby and arched a perfect brow.

Ruby simply nodded before she herself stood. Giving Emma the reassuring version of her lopsided grin, she told her. "Yeah, nothing broken or even injured. Thanks for saving us Em."

When Ruby turned back to the river, she heard Emma's murmured "I didn't do much," but didn't see the blush that crept up the blonde's cheeks.

Regina observed the blonde's reaction to the small thank you that was given by the brunette and narrowed her eyes. Emma visibly shivered before her gazing green eyes turned from Ruby and locked with Regina's. Surprisingly instead of holding her gaze as per usual, Emma seemed to blush a darker red before quickly turning her head away and muttering about checking out the surrounding area.

Without so much as a sigh escaping her lips the former Queen lifted her head and gazed up at the sky. "I think we should keep moving. It seems that fog spell has worn off and it would be foolish of us to not take advantage of this _pristine_ opportunity." The word was all but a growl from Regina's throat.

Ruby hopped on her toes a few times in response. "Yeah, I can sense they are close by." Ruby turned to face her companions and grinned. "Let the hunt begin."

Regina chuckled darkly as Emma blinked. "Umm, weren't we already hunting?" Mental face palms were split between Regina and Ruby.

"Em-" Ruby began.

Regina was fed up and already on edge. "Miss Swan you are denser than dense so therefore I decree that you let silence become your _very_ best friend."

Without another glance at the two stunned women Regina turned and walked to the edge of the river and held out her hands over the water.

Purple smoke wafted up from the river as the opposing land sides began to stretch over across the water and became a solid yard length walkway.

Taking a few steps onto the outstretched land Regina turned and looked back at the other women. "Well are you coming or not? We don't have all day." Hurriedly the two women caught up with Regina who was already halfway across the walkway.

**Red Queen**

Ruby once again took the lead in their hunt as the scent of Henry got stronger once they had crossed the river. The three women soon found themselves near a clearing in the forest and quickened their pace until they stood but a few inches from the treeless area.

Before them a wood shack-like house stood with smoke coiling from a meager brick chimney atop it.

"They're here." Ruby stated as her eyes took in every detail she could get from the current angle she was in.

"Well let's go in and introduce ourselves." Emma's eyes hardened as she took the few steps forward needed to bring her out into the open land.

A squeak of hinges had her backpedaling into the trees behind her and almost into Regina and Ruby. Silently the three women watched as a man with thick black hair stepped out onto the porch and held up a cup of coffee to his lips and drank.

"That's him. He's the one who took Henry." Ruby's voice was harsh with anger as she glared at the man who stood upon the porch as if he had done no wrong.

In an instant Regina was behind him with purple smoke wafting away into the wind. With a flick of her wrist the man was in the air struggling to breathe as his wide fear drenched eyes met Regina's cold dark gaze.

"Where is my son," Regina ground out as the cold magic grip she around the man's throat tightened all the more painfully.

"I don't know what ya talking about lady." The man seemed to be young, in his mere twenties perhaps. Black hair slicked back above dark blue eyes that tried to beg for mercy.

At this time Emma and Ruby had bounded up the porch and stood beside Regina gazing up at the man. "Oh, I think you do know exactly what it is I'm talking about. But since it seems it has slipped your mind recently, how about I jog your memory?" Regina's eyes flashed purple and a snarl adorned her face.

"Lady! I seriously don't know! Please!" The man began to choke as all airflow was cut off.

"Regina stop, he's telling the truth." Emma grabbed Regina's arm in a strong grip. Regina snarled at Emma and tried to shake her off when Ruby joined Emma in her efforts.

"Em's right. He's not lying." Ruby glanced up at the dangling man who was dangerously close to losing consciousness.

The purple light of Regina's eyes slowly faded away as she lightened her magical grip on the man's throat. "Well what do you know?"

"My…my name is Joshua… Joshua Kingston." The man let out between gasps of air. If he looked unfamiliar, then the mention of his name made it even more so confusing for the women.

"Why are you here Joshua?" Ruby spoke softly, hoping to gain information that would help them understand their current situation.

"All I know is I was sent to retrieve this boy- uh I think his name was Henry." Joshua's brows scrunched up as he tried hard to remember the child's name. A growl from Regina had his brows shooting up as his hands raised in front of his face. "I don't even know who the kid is! I swear! I was instructed to bring him here and wait for the lady to pick him up."

"Lady? What lady?" Emma stepped closer as she stared into the man's eyes.

As soon as Joshua opened his mouth he began to choke, but not because of something any of the women present did. Regina released the man to the ground as she realized what was taking place.

"Dammit, it's a Silence Spell." Her eyes glowed purple as she held the man's head and reached into his mind with her own to extract memories that were fast fading. "If the one that was spelled tries to speak upon information that was silenced then their memory of the events are erased." Flashes of a blonde woman with a cruel pink lipped smile and sharp green eyes assaulted her mental vision before everything went black as the man's memories were completely wiped out and the images of the man arriving in Storybrooke in a Ford Shelby settled in. And that was where the mind trail ended.

Regina pulled herself from the mindscape ad back into the present and sighed as the man's eyes closed in a magic induced sleep.

Now that she knew who the real culprit was behind her son's kidnapping rage began to fill her once more. "I know who did this."

"Let's go inside, get Henry, get out and we can deal with everything else when he's safe and sound." Emma said as she nudged open the door with her foot and her gun leveled at the interior of the shack.

Ruby stood beside Regina and rested a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine right here. I doubt he's going anywhere anytime soon." She gave a halfhearted grin as she stepped away from the sleeping man and stepped inside behind Emma.

Regina gave the man one last look before she turned and followed after the other two women.

**Red Queen**

**Author's Notes #2: Oi! I'll give a prize to the first person to figure out just who is behind this heinous crime of kidnapping. You can choose to appear in one of my other stories, get a crappy drawing by me, or whatever you choose…. **

**As always Rate and Review people, R&R means a lot to us writers and we appreciate your words of encouragement and the likes. **

**Til next time,**

**Reimiel Angel**


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